Volunteers

Volunteers are a valued and essential part of the team at University Hospitals Coventry and Warwickshire NHS Trust. We have more than 600 volunteers working at the Trust with our staff to enhance patient services and care across our two sites. Volunteering is provided at UHCW through University Hospital Voluntary Services and UHCW Charity. At the Hospital of St Cross volunteering is provided through the Friends of the Hospital of St Cross and Rugby Hospital Radio.

No clinical or medical background is necessary and the only restriction is that you must be aged 16 or over (Friends of the Hospital of St Cross minimum age is 18). At the Trust we welcome and embrace diversity therefore your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion/belief, age, social status, disability or any other characteristic you have will be viewed as a valuable asset for the Trust.

Read Our Guide to Volunteering here

Why become a Volunteer?

Volunteering is a rewarding way of giving up your time. There are many reasons why people choose to volunteer, such as:

Giving something back to the Hospital
To help others
Interested in a career in health care
Gain experience; help develop their CV
Meet new people
For personal reasons; improve self confidence, social interaction, reasons relating to their health

What can I do as a Volunteer?

The different roles open to volunteers include:

Hospital Radio – providing entertainment for patients, the hospital radio runs 24 hours a day 7 days per week. You must be 16 for UHCW Coventry and 18 for Rugby Hospital Radio
Meet and Greet at UHCW and Help Desk at Hospital of St Cross – escort / direct patients and visitors to their destinations
Hospital of St Cross Tea Bar – serving teas and confectionery to staff and visitors
Dementia Buddy Volunteer – to spend time befriending patients suffering from Dementia, carrying out activities that will stimulate patients.
Breast Clinic Chaperone – provide a supportive role from personal experience to newly diagnosed women with breast cancer and their partners.
Patient Care Experience Survey – visiting patients asking them a series of questions relating to the level of care they have received during their stay in hospital.
Administrative Support – helping out with basic clerical work, filing, photocopying and so on
Chaplaincy Lay Visitors – sits and listens to patients. The Chaplaincy is made up of representatives from different religious beliefs and faiths from the local community.
Drinks Trolley – serve hot drinks to patients on wards
Meal time helpers – helping patients to complete menu cards, preparing patients for meal times, handing out meals.
Play Assistant – to provide children and young people with the opportunity to play, provide normal play activities. You must be 18.
Wheelchair Service: To provide a wheelchair service to our patients and visitors where required. Transporting them in a wheelchair to the department/clinic they are attending.

How do I become a Volunteer?

University Hospital Voluntary Services– Contact the office on 024 7696 5146/7

volunteers@uhcw.nhs.uk

For more details on Coventry Hospital Radio, visit their website: www.coventryhospitalradio.org/

UHCW Charity – Contact the office on 024 76966913
www.uhcwcharity.org

Friends of the Hospital of St Cross – Contact the office on 01788 663754

www.fsx.org.uk

office@friendsofstcross.org.uk

Rugby Hospital Radio – Contact the studio on 01788 545271
www.rugbyhospitalradio.org

rugbyhr@hotmail.com

Application Pack

Interested in volunteering at University Hospital? Please complete the application pack and return it to the freepost address provided at the top of the form.

Volunteer Application Pack